Mirriam Neal

Beautiful People [Sibling Edition] – The Montgomery Brothers

For this month’s Beautiful People I had a hard time choosing between sibling duos. It came down to a tossup between Morougha and Isyss from Kenna, or Jackson and Gideon Montgomery from the Salvation series. Vampire siblings or Urscummig siblings? Relatively good siblings, or undeniably bad siblings? I chose the Montgomery brothers, mainly because I wanted to discover the answers to these questions and they’re more pertinent at the moment (but who knows? A good villain Q and A – particularly between a villainous brother and sister – may have to be written out anyway).

What is the first memory they have of each other? Gideon’s first memory of Jackson is offering to hold him so that his mother could rest. Since he was nearly into his teen years, it was allowed. Jackson’s first memory of Gideon is Gideon hanging a hand-crafted mobile over his head to keep him entertained.

Describe their relationship in 3 words. Strained, loyal, turbulent.

What kind of things do they like to do together? Aside from their vampire states, they don’t have much in common. Jackson has embraced the personal that surrounds his life’s appearance and plays the part of rich, flirtatious college student very well (until someone makes him really angry). Gideon is much more the ‘good’ brother, preferring to mind his own business, stay out of trouble, and keep a long leash on his brother. They once loved the same woman, if that falls into the category of ‘things they like to do together.’

What was their biggest fight? Even the most low-key of their fights can be extremely violent and include neck-snapping and stakes shoved through internal organs, but their biggest was in the 1860’s, partially over the war and partially over the aforementioned woman. She was a bit of a Scarlet O’Hara.

How far would they go to save each other? They are bound by blood, guilt, and brotherly love. Thus far, there has been nothing they would stop at to save the other, no matter how hurt or enraged.

What are their pet peeves about each other? Gideon does not approve of his brother’s womanizing, or his tendency to view other lives lesser than his own. Jackson believes Gideon is a bit of a ‘stuffed shirt,’ and wishes he would stop feeling responsible for him.

What are their favorite things about each other? In spite of their differences, they are bound by ties of shared experience, and only they can reminisce about the ghosts of life past. They know that they will always be backed if trouble finds them, and there are even times when they truly get along, without quarreling or violence.

What traits do they share? Mannerisms, clothing, quirks, looks, etc? They both have a faint, cultured Southern accent, having been born and raised in Georgia. They share dark hair and similar builds, but most similarities end there – Jackson favors his mother, Gideon his father.

Who has the strongest personality? They have equally strong personalities, albeit entirely different ones. Jackson has a seemingly unquenchable thirst for life, danger and adventure. The force of Gideon’s personality rests in his quiet ability to intimidate and hold the upper hand, even when he has no cards.

How does their relationship change throughout your story? In Dark is the Night, we meet them for the first time; at odds, but working as a (slightly dysfunctional but mostly efficient) unit. In No Dark Disguise, events from the previous novel have rendered Jackson fundamentally changed, while Gideon works to save and restore him to his previous self.